Stephen c



(No Model.)

s. c. WILGOX.

SALT GELLAR.

Noi 299,445.

Patented May 27, 1884.

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.as the case may be, in the act of use.

" lUNrrnD STATES .ATnN'r OFFICE.

S'lEPHh'lN C. WILOOX, DUBUQUE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO LE ROY DELOS RANDALL, OF SAME PLACE.

SALT-GELLAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,445, dated May 2K7, 1884.

Application tiled March 10, 1884. (No model.)

To al?, whom/ it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN C. WrLcox, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Dubuque, and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Air-Tight Salt-Cellar, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is the productionof an air-tight saltcellar which shall automatically so adjust itself as to permit the exit of salt from the cellar when in the act of use, as well as close itself against the entrance of air into the cellar when not in use, thus preserving the salt from caking under the infiuence of moisture ofthe atmosphere, which caking prevents the 'ready discharge of the salt from the cellar through the ordinary apertures made for such purpose. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved salt-cellar. Fig. 2 is an inverted View of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the same. Figs. 4,

5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are examples in longitudinal vertical section of salt-cellars constructed on different plans, but operating on the same principle as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, and which automatically adjust themselves so as to permit the exit of salt in the act of use, as well as close themselves against the entrance of air into the cellar when not in use.

In Figs. `1, 2, and 3, A indicates the body portion of the salt-cellar, provided with a neck, as a, having perforations b through the same, as shown, for the exit of the salt c when the cellar is inverted, as in Fig.2, or partially inverted, From the top extremity of the neck to its junction with the body portion, as represented, said neck a is very slightly tapered, as shown, whereby a ring, as d, around saidneck may automatically seat itself in position over the perforations b when the cellar is in the position shown in Figs. l and 3, but which will automatically assume the position on the neck a as shown in Fig. 2 when inverted in the act of use. In others words, when the cellar A is inverted, the ring d, as shown in Fig. 2, will by force of its gravity fall down from over the perforations b, and thus allow a portion of the salt 0, contained in the body of the Gellar, to pass out through said perforations; and when the salt-cellar is made to assume its normal position, (shown in Figs. l and 3,) the ring el will by its own gravity fall down to its position shown in Fig. 3, and thereby prevent the air from entering the salt-cellar and moistening the salt by its influence, and so cake7 the same, or at least prevent it from readily passing through the Iperforations b when the cellar is inverted. The salt is supplied to the body of the cellar A by removing an imperforated cap, e, from the neck a. 'Ihe cap may be a plain one, as shown, but tightly iitting upon the neck, as indicated; or it may be made to screw upon the neck a,- the proper provision being made for such purpose, as is commonin"pepper-boxes,"whilethebody and neck portion of my improved salt-cellar may be either of -glass or metal, as desired. The cap e may be of suitable metal as well as the ring d., which may be weighted, if desired; or both of these parts might be made of gatta-percha or vulcanized rubber. By making the neck d tapering, as stated, aslight tap of the cellar upon any proper object when the cellar is inverted will readily release the ring d from its position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2. The interior of the ring d, it will be seen, is made tapering, so as to exactly fit and render air-tight the tapering portion of the neck a which the ring surrounds when in position as in Figs. l and 2, and thus when the ring is in the least degree moved from such position the increased taper of the neck will allow of a full movement of. the ring to its position shown in Fig. 2 without an impeding frictional contact between the ring and the neck.

In Fig. 4 I show a salt-cellar around the neck ofwhich a cap, f, is itted, and provided with perforations f for the exit of salt. B is a weight having a convex under surface to fit down upon the concave surface of the cap, as shown. When the cellar is inverted, the weight B falls oft the cap and allows the salt to escape, and when the cellar is placed upright, as in the iigure, the weight B closes the perforations f.

VIn Fig. 5, Gis a tube closed at top and open at bottom, and ts in and upon the neck of roo the salt-cellar.

Provision, as shown, is made whereby when the cellar is inverted the tube will not fall out free from the neel; f, but will go far enough out to expose the apertures f and allow salt to pass out through them from the body ofthe cellar.

In Fig. 6, F is a cap fitting upon the neck of the salt-cellar, and is provided with a round upwardly-extended portion, as g, at the base of which the cap F is made with a Acircular depression to receive a ring, 7;, as shown, which ring, when the salt-cellar is in position as represented and not in act of use, iits over and closes the apertures f; but when the cellar is inverted the ring` 7L falls away from over the apertures and allows the salt in the cellar to pass out.

In Fig. 7, D is a tube closed at top and with its open end fitting around the neel; of the salt-cellar. E is a weight which iits inside the tube and can move up and down therein. `\Vhen the weight E is in the position indicated in the iigure and iltting upon the neel; fot' the cellar, as shown, the perl'orations f are closed, so that no air can enter the cellar; but when the cellar is inverted in the act ol" use the weight will i'all away from. the pcrforations f and allow salt to pass out from the body of the saltcellar.

In Fig. S a cap, f, made concave at top and perforated, as at j", is provided for the body portion of the salt-eellarA, the same or similar to that shown in Fig. Ll. 'A ball or sphere, B', is made to snugly iit into the coneavity of the cap, as shown, and thus in position it closes the aperturesj" against the entrance of g air into the salt-eellar. A rod, i, as shown,

and attached to the ball, prevents the ball from separating entirelyr from the salt-cellar when the saine is inverted in the act of use, while at the same time the ball frees itself from the cap, thus allowing salt to pass out 0f the cellar through the apertures j".

In Fig. 9 the body portion of the salt-cellar is composed of an outer vessel, M, provided with slots r at its bottom, to receive shoulders a, attached to an inner vessel,M. I'I is a stopper iitting the vessel M, as shown, and immediately beneath the same are perforations f through the vessel M. The inner vessel is made to slide within M, the range of its movement being the length of the slots r r, the same being of such length as to expose the perforationsfj" beyond the top of the vessel M when the salt-cellar is inverted, or partially so, in the act of use, and so permit the salt to escape from the cellar.

I would state that in all the figures the several sal tfeellars are indicated by A.

It will thus be seen that in all ofthe several constructions set forth means are provided by which, when either one of the salt-cellars is in use, the same will be automatically opened to permit the passage of the salt therefrom, and when not in use, but in normal position, the same will automatically act to close up the cellar and exclude air therefrom.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

The salt-cellar, as a new manufacture, comprising perforations in the cellar for the egress ol" salt, a cap, and the device for automatically closing the perforations to prevent the salt from caking, substantially as described.

STEPHEN C. VILCOX. lVitnesses:

JOHN (I. KIVANA no n, R. McC/Losiinv. 

